The present invention relates generally to shipping containers and more particularly to shipping containers for products mounted on casters.
Shipping containers for products mounted on casters often include some type of ramp to assist in loading the product into the container and then unloading the product from the container once it reaches its destination.
Although the invention will hereinafter be described with regard to a shipping container for use in holding a chiller which is mounted on casters and sized for use in single point applications it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited exclusively to shipping containers for chillers or shipping containers for chillers used in single point applications.
As is known, a chiller is a piece of equipment which outputs a liquid, such as water, at a user defined temperature which is used to regulate the temperature of a device such as a welding machine or a laser.
Chillers used in single point applications generally weigh in the order of about 125 to 300 pounds and are generally sized about 2 feet by about 3 feet by about 3 feet.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,179 to D. Spiezka there is disclosed a pallet including a ramp and two slide assemblies inserted between the pallet surface and the article to be shipped. The ramp is pivotally attached as part of the pallet structure and may be folded up during shipping and down during unloading. The slide assemblies include a strip of material with low coefficient of friction to facilitate sliding on the pallet surface and the ramp.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0108238 to M. E. Maresh there is disclosed a shipping carton with a ramp system which is integrated into the packaging in a unique way which facilitates positioning of the ramp system for use while also facilitating storage of the ramp system during shipment of the product enclosed within the packaging.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,459 to P. D. Genix there is disclosed a shipping container for an article which includes a floor on which the article is placed, the top surface of which is elevated from the supporting surface upon which the container rests, by a fixed dimension. Four side structures surround the floor and a top panel contacts the side structures to form an enclosure for the article. One of the side structures has at least one flap that, when opened, permits a ramp, that is part of the side structure, in the form of an inclined plane, to be pivoted into position against the floor. The height of the inclined plane approximates the fixed dimension so that the article can be moved horizontally within the container and then down the ramp for removal. Reinstallation of the article into the container requires moving the article up the inclined plane, onto the floor of the container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,511 to J. W. Bridges there is disclosed a packaging assembly for computer cabinets which includes a base having a support surface, a pallet on one side of the support surface and a support guide on the other side of the support surface. A computer cabinet is mounted on the support surface and secured to the support guide. A two-piece cover is mounted over the cabinet and secured to the base. The two pieces of the cover are secured together by removable connectors. A cap is removably mounted on an end of the cover opposite the base and secured to the cover by additional ones of the removable connectors.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,854 to J. F. Heil there is disclosed palletizing system for a wheeled item comprising an undercarriage and wheels extending from the undercarriage. The pallet includes a plurality of ramps on a base frame sloping from a support toward the base frame and the palletizing system includes at least one selectively removable bridging member for placement in one of the plurality of ramps for forming a track along which the wheels of the item can roll over the one of the plurality of ramps. The support and the plurality of ramps are structured and arranged so that when the bridging member is removed from at least one of the plurality of ramps and the wheeled item is shifted on the wheels from the support surface along the plurality of ramps, the undercarriage of the wheeled item comes to rest on the support surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,368 to S. L. Underbrink et al. there is disclosed a pallet and an associated method for supporting an item mounted upon casters. The pallet includes a pallet deck having a fixed portion and a movable portion. The movable portion moves between the first position in which the movable portion is displaced, such as by being rotated downwardly, from the fixed portion and a second position in which the movable and fixed portions cooperate to define a support surface. The movable portion is in the second position while the item is loaded, but is moved to the first position during shipment. The pallet also includes a support for supporting the item once the movable portion is in the first position. Prior thereto, however, the item is typically spaced from the support. Each support can include a stationary portion and a movable portion that moves between a retracted position to facilitate loading and an extended position during shipment.
In the past, shipping containers for chillers mounted on casters and used in single point applications did not include a ramp and required at least two people to load the chiller into the container and then unload the chiller from the container once it reaches it location.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved shipping container.
It is another object of this invention to provide a shipping container for use with a product mounted on casters.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a shipping container for use with chillers used in single point applications.
It is yet still another object of this invention to provide a shipping container for a chiller mounted on casters and used in a single point application which is constructed so as to permit the chiller to be loaded into and out of the container by a single person.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved shipping container which includes a ramp and a method of use.